


Ways and Means

by magic8ball331



Category: Supernatural
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Angst, F/M, M/M, Multi, Wing Kink, angel lore
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-03-20
Updated: 2013-04-05
Packaged: 2017-12-05 20:55:25
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,328
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/727828
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/magic8ball331/pseuds/magic8ball331
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>While God has his plans, so do others. A demon, who remembers his torture all too well, goes after the Winchesters for a personal vendetta. Crowley wants to help this demon, because he knows the danger that Castiel and the boys represent to him. Meanwhile, Castiel deals with raw emotions, Sam tries to leave the hunting life in Dean's absence,Dean searches for his little brother while in the company of a vampire and an unknown angel decides to make herself known. </p><p>AU after the finale of season 7.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prolouge

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry this is sort of rambly, I just wanted to do some background before getting the show on the road. Plus exploring angel lore is always fun.

When God molds the angels out of pure Grace, he does so knowing exactly what will become of each angel. He knows Lucifer will fall, because of his disgust of humans. Free will exists, but God also knows the way things will play out, and so he lets them. When he forms Gabriel, he knows the tricky angel will exile himself away from the war in heaven, with no faith in the father who vanished and will die protecting the Winchesters. He knows Anna's death, and he creates Castiel, knowing full well that he will succumb to the possession of the Leviathans. 

And then, there is Elerial. A lesser angel. 

God knows Elerial will wait. She will be the lowest of the low in Castiel's garrison, she won't have the guts to try and further herself the way Micheal did and she will not speak her mind as Lucifer had. While Castiel is created from raw motivation, energy, fire and emotions, Elerial is all of the gentle traits that he is not. She is the patience of God, while Cas is the shield, prepared to defend, even if it batters him to death.  
Together, they would be more powerful than Micheal and Rapheal. 

And while Castiel shields the honor of his father to the best of his ability, the man in the sky tires of watching his children fight relentlessly. He vanishes, leaving Micheal with the reins of the entire universe and watching with sadness while the siblings who were supposed to love each other tear apart.  
And then in 1983, Mary Winchester dies and John starts to raise his sons on the road.

The way it's supposed to be.

God knows Castiel will make a few mistakes, but his purpose in the long run as a shield of God will have been served. By the time the Leviathans are dealt with, and the plagues of Sam's mind have also left Castiel's, he is in purgatory with Dean Winchester and the thousands of monsters who have died. Many have died at the hands of the Winchester himself and there is obviously hard feelings still lingering in the depths of the monster prison. 

While free will exists, God also does, have a plan. So he sends them Benny, a lone vampire who befriends Dean Winchester and leads two of the three out of Purgatory.  
God himself yanks Castiel out of Purgatory, erasing the angel's memory while he's at it. Castiel can find out what his purpose is alone, not knowing the words God has spoken to him.  
And then God goes back to his vacation, content with his creations for the time being. 

But meanwhile, a recently created demon is lurking in the shadows. He remembers who tortured him to this state in Hell, and of course, he is angry that this man escaped from hell. All because an angel gripped his shoulder and raised him from perdition. 

While God vacations, this demon hunts for the Winchesters.


	2. September, 2008, Dean Winchester is Saved

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Castiel fights his way through hell, to gain Dean Winchesters soul and loses something along the way.

Hell is dark and nasty and the demons inside of it are just as dark and nasty. It's the complete opposite of what Castiel and his garrison are used to. They have lived mostly in the glory of heaven for centuries, hardly come down to Earth and they never visit Hell unless they are desperate.

Yet, for the past 4 months Castiel has been guiding his garrison into the depths of Hell, towards the tortured souls attached the meat hooks for one soul. But the time in Hell is altered, and its felt more like 40 long years. All for one soul. One soul who died as a result of a demon deal he made in order to raise his younger brother from the dead. Castiel cannot fathom as to why God wants to take one man souls from the hell pit, from Alistair's torture chamber, but he can't refuse a direct order.   
He hopes the loss of two of his angels are worth it. They had spent a month pushing into Hell, the devil gates weakened by an earlier escape made by a demon. Now they're fighting, not very far from Dean Winchester's soul, if they could make a break in the demon line.

Castiel flexed a wing, ensuring that it's still in working order despite the tattered feathers. There's been a brief respite in the fighting, and he's trying to assess the damage to his garrison as quickly as possible. He's already lost an angel today and he doesn't intend to lose another one for a human who's already supposed to have been dead because of a deal he made with a demon.

There's some damage, but not enough that will kill them before their Grace can heal all the wounds.  
They've pushed the demons further into their own region and Castiel can't say that he isn't glad that they've defeated some them while they blaze through the racks and the souls that have been tortured until they turn into black eyed demons. Hell is everything that angels aren't, hell is dark and bloody, and full of the screams of those who are being tortured on the racks until they lose everything.

Which can't happen to Dean, considering he's been in there for 4 months already, which would be equivalent to forty years in his time.   
Michael will need a vessel that isn't tainted too much by Hell, but Dean has already opened the first Seal. 

That's why Castiel decides to spilt his forces into two fronts, one for a diversion, and one, to hopefully reach Dean and remove them all from hell safely.  
He explains, and it's an order, so the choice isn't questioned, at least outright. Divide his forces, divide the demons forces, and then hopefully all of them would be able to fly out of hell without any more damage.

He chooses to take Elerial Ambriel and Ariel with him, putting the other three in charge of their own front. 

Of course, none of them question him. Angels are natural soldiers, after all, and they love each other like siblings. Angels are family, despite how humans think they're apathetic and as Dean will say in the future,"junkless."

Castiel wishes all of them well before he and the other three push on, towards Dean Winchester. Who is needed for some unimaginable reason.  
But the demons are smarter than he thought and before Castiel can stop it, one brash demon has wrenched the angel blade out of Ariel's hands and finished off her with her own weapon, and he's surrounded with the bee like buzzing of disgusting demons, and although he can't excatly see them, the rest of his garrison has come back to the others.

So separating was a bad idea, a variety that Castiel hadn't thought out correctly, but eventually they had pulled away, were heading out of the way. But when Castiel realizes his entire garrison isn't by his side, he turns around to find Elerial. 

His sister is surrounded by demons, her pure grace shining in the middle of thick, black smoke and Castiel for once, is a clueless leader of his garrison, until Elerial speaks.

"Go. Get Dean Winchester."

It's an order.

And Castiel listens, despite his best instinct to save his sister.   
He is the first one to make it to the soul, he himself is broken, battered and suffering from more than a torn wing. The others are behind him, straggling through soul after soul that is attached to the meat hooks in the darkness of it all.

His grace burns a mark on Dean's soul, a claim, and Castiel gets a tight grip on the righteous man before he pulls him out of Hell and the announcement is made. Cas will know Dean better than anyone ever will, because he laid a hand on his soul and claimed him.

"Dean Winchester is saved."

But an angel has been left behind. Elerial is the only one who doesn't make it out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really hate fight scenes, sorryyyy.


End file.
